Soft as Silk Sheets
by Let Love In
Summary: "Even in the depths of my bedroom, I could still hear the rain. It always seems to rain this time of year. I guess on an anniversary like today, one can't blame the sun for hiding." Kai/Karen, HM64.


**A/N: It's been a while, hm? Just a oneshot that mirrors another oneshot I wrote ('One Hundred and Three Freckles' in the Alice in Wonderland category)! I'm hoping to get back into writing fanfiction, this is a piece to (hopefully) rid of my writer's block. Here you are!**

It always seems to rain this time of year.

It's not so unusual, I guess. I mean, it _is _April, after all. April showers bring May flowers, and all that nonsense. Normally, I quite like the rain. But I always seem to mind it when this time of year creeps up on me once again. How long had it been? I stopped counting the days.

"Cheer up," came the voice of Maria, the petite librarian. She looked up at me with her big, worried eyes. "Have some tea, hm?"

"Yeah," I replied. "I guess that'd be nice."

She handed me a cup of tea from across the library table. I took a sip. It didn't help. I so desperately wished to leave the library, head for the vineyard and see her standing there, hands on hips, waiting for me. Still there. _Would it be easier, if she were still here?_

I suppose not. Not with her father rampaging about this and that. But on days like these, where the whole world seems to look completely void of vitality, I can't help but remember the look on her face after she picked up that suitcase. And then how she disappeared no more than five seconds later, completely gone, as if everything that had just happened wasn't real at all.

_Be back before you know it_, she had said. I swear, that phrase could have been engraved inside my eyelids. It was always there.

Maria knew of my uncertainties, yet she didn't dare speak them aloud. In fact, she remained silent for quite a long time. I felt a pile of words lingering on my lips; empty words that meant nothing save for keeping the conversation afloat. The silence was the worst, for it was simply an invitation for my melancholy thoughts to once again occupy my mind.

"Is Harris around?" I asked, my words like vomit.

"Mmm, yes, most likely," Maria replied timidly, her cheeks dusted red like a rose petal. How silly, the fact that she still blushed at the thought of her husband. "I believe he's in the back. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, no reason," I replied airily. "I should go. Thank you for the tea."

I had been bothering Maria for quite some time now, especially at this time of year. There was nothing about the library that I liked, particularly. Just the fact that it was quiet, and she was often the only one in there at all times. She was the complete opposite of Karen, nothing about her was reminiscent of my fiery brunette.

I left her at the table without another word. A drop of rain slid down my nose as soon as I left the meager library, plucking my nerves once again. I couldn't take it anymore; I didn't want to be awake on a day like this. I had to go home. Thoughts of green eyes danced in my head.

If I could, I would have counted the freckles on her face. I would have cherished the times that she broke into a smile, even the teensiest one. I would have allowed myself to grasp her hand whenever I wanted, just to see how soft it was. I would have done so many things, if only there was time. So that when she finally returned after all these years, she would know how much I loved her.

_One hundred and three freckles, _I would tell her. _You smile like you're hiding something. Your hands are soft as silk sheets._

And she would know that it was real; that I meant every word I said. And maybe, just maybe, she would stay.

I finally came across the vineyard, a place that taunted me with memories. As soon as I acquired enough money, I would move out of that forsaken basement and get a house. Maybe a house on the mountains, I didn't even care.

I arrived in my bedroom. _Another day, another year gone by_. How many more did I have to endure?

In one fluid motion, I slipped off my shoes and flopped into bed. Even in the depths of my bedroom, I could still hear the rain. It always seems to rain this time of year.

I guess on an anniversary like today, one can't blame the sun for hiding. I fell asleep within moments.


End file.
